Hello! I’d like to share my thoughts on Revelation 8:11, which mentions the “Wormwood” star. Many have previously associated this event with the Chernobyl nuclear accident. However, this cannot be true, as the 10th verse states that the star fell on a third of the rivers and springs of water.
The symbolism of the “Wormwood” star in Revelation
It may seem like that’s the end of it, but the connection to Chernobyl is still there. Firstly, who is the Book of Revelation written for? It’s intended for people of the last days, which includes us. So, the word “wormwood” could theoretically be a clue, and that’s why we’ll still consider that the 11th verse hints at the Chernobyl accident. But where’s the connection?
Many are currently watching the unfolding events in Ukraine with concern, fearing that the bunker government might order a nuclear strike. But in Revelation, it’s mentioned that the star fell on “rivers and waters,” not on Ukrainian cities. Does this mean there won’t be a nuclear strike, or is there a hidden meaning here?
I found that, indeed, it refers to something else. It turns out that nuclear weapons are divided into several categories, with three in Russia. They are divided somewhat arbitrarily but still. The first and second categories are tactical and operational nuclear weapons. Tactical weapons have a range of up to 300 km, and operational weapons have a range of up to 500 km.
The area of impact is not as vast, and the explosion’s territory quickly recovers and can soon be used for human activity.
Example:
Hiroshima and Nagasaki serve as prime examples. Despite a nuclear strike, life continues to thrive there. There’s also strategic nuclear weaponry with a range exceeding 5500 km.
Another distinctive characteristic of strategic nuclear weapons is their explosive power. In contrast to strategic nuclear weapons, the TNT equivalent of tactical warheads typically doesn’t exceed a few kilotons and often falls below one kiloton.
Strategic Nuclear Weapons
Strategic nuclear weapons indeed possess an immense explosive power, often referred to as a “dirty bomb.” Their large blast radius and severe radiation contamination of areas make it impossible to conduct any economic activities for a very long time.
Herein lies the key feature of strategic nuclear weapons, such as intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), for example, the NATO-classified SS-18 or “Satan” missile. These missiles are colossal, with a length of 36.6 meters, a diameter of 3 meters, and a launch weight of 210 tons.
With nearly 9 tons of payload in its multiple warheads, consider these numbers carefully. The maximum range of the missile can reach up to 16,000 km. Upon launch, the missile can ascend to altitudes of up to 1,000 km, effectively entering space. This is why the RM-36 is equipped with heat shielding to withstand the re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.
The strategic calculation here was that by deploying just up to 10 of these missiles on the United States, it could cripple up to 80% of industrial capacity and affect a significant portion of the population.
In essence, the affected territory would suffer from such radioactive contamination that any form of human activity would be impossible for many years.
Strategy and Possible Scenarios
It’s worth noting that strategic nuclear weapons are subject to rigorous international monitoring, and their launch is impossible without a simultaneous command from three “black briefcases”: the President of Russia, the Minister of Defense, and the Chief of the General Staff.
Furthermore, the launch of tactical or operational nuclear weapons can follow a simplified procedure and doesn’t attract the same level of global scrutiny.
Additionally, during our school’s initial military training classes, our military instructor explained the essence of a strike strategy against the United States. He told us that since Americans lack high mountains, dropping a bomb into the ocean in the coastal area would generate a high wave that would cause more damage than bombing the mainland.
With such highly classified information from a reliable source, our military instructor, we can recall statements made by some Russian propagandists regarding a nuclear strike using strategic weapons. For instance, Dmitry Kiselev, in one of his programs, talked about a gigantic wave reaching up to 500 meters from a nuclear explosion off the shores of Britain. He also emphasized that there would be significant radiation contamination. In other words, rivers and water sources would indeed be affected.
Now, let’s reiterate: an intercontinental ballistic missile can reach altitudes of up to 1,000 km (which is already in space), and it has special heat shielding for re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. How would the flight of such a missile at its final stage appear to a prophet living two thousand years ago? It would seem like a star to them!
What conclusions can we draw?
First:
The Chernobyl disaster is not the event described by John when a star named “Wormwood” fell from the sky.
Second:
The use of nuclear weapons, such as tactical ones, was not noticed or described by the prophet John, as they result in severe contamination of the affected area and are not historically significant.
Therefore, unfortunately, we can assume that the bunker ruler or the northern prince named Gog will indeed use low-yield nuclear weapons on the territory of Ukraine. This will strengthen his position in the global leader rankings and potentially allow him to become a world ruler.
Third:
The most dreaded scenario that humanity feared for decades will occur — strategic nuclear weapons in the history of mankind will be deployed! Since this weapon is super-destructive and, most importantly, “dirty” for the impacted area, we can speculate that this was the weapon shown to the prophet John on the island of Patmos, and he likely mistook the flight of an intercontinental missile for the fall of a star.
As the rocket’s explosion leaves behind significant radioactive contamination, perhaps the Angel, through the prophet, is providing a hint for the people of our time. Few are unaware of the tragedy at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Chernobyl zone. “Chernobyl” translates to “Wormwood.”
-
“The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.”
-
“The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.”